New popular electric vehicle looks to jet for inspiration

Make no mistake: this is one huge vehicle.

Ever since cars became a part of our lives, it seems that there's been a quest to make them bigger.

Related: Why this legacy automaker is going slow into electric vehicles

Large vehicles are roomier, of course, as they offer more comfort and legroom. And they're also provide better protection. in the event of a crash.

Geely’s LEVC L380 electric MPV revealed in China https://t.co/1MUBA50w5w— Khairul Shukeri ✨ (@khairulshukeri) December 10, 2023

But there are also the not-so-subtle vibes that owning a big vehicle sends out to other drivers that express wealth, power, status, and get the hell out of my way.

Think of vehicles like the General Motors  (GM) - Get Free Report GMC Hummer, or the Rolls-Royce  (BMWYY) - Get Free Report Phantom, or, if you want to go completely nuts, "The American Dream," a 100-foot super limo that holds the Guinness World Record for the longest car in the world.

That last one might be a bit extreme. So, let's take a look at the London EV Company Ltd., L380, a van so large it answers the question "what you get if you chopped the wings off an Airbus  (EADSY) - Get Free Report A380?"

In fact, the L380 was reportedly inspired by the world's largest and most spacious aircraft.

Power from a single motor

LEVC, the company responsible for the electrical conversion of London’s famous black taxicabs, was founded in 1919 and acquired by Chinese automotive firm Geely in 2012. 

Images of the L380 have been been published by Chinese media outlets and while it's no American Dream, it's pretty impressive.

You want some stats? Okay, here you go:

The LEVC L380, a multi-purpose vehicle, is 209.3 inches long, 78.7 inches wide, and 1,940 76.4 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 125.4 inches and a curb weight of 6,184 lbs.

In comparison, Telsa’s  (TSLA) - Get Free Report newly-released Cybertruck is 95 inches wide, 223.7 inches long, and 70.5 inches tall.

MPVs are designed to carry passengers on regular trips. They have with modern boxy designs that also provide ample storage capacity and overall passenger comfort.

The L380 will be available in six-seater or eight-seater configurations, with the latter being arranged in a four-row layout, according to CarNewsChina.com. 

The L380 is underpinned by LEVC’s new Space Oriented Architecture (SOA), which is a reworked version of Geely’s SEA platform. Power will reportedly come from a single electric motor producing 268 hp.

MPVs popular in China

Energy will be sourced from a nickel-cobalt-manganate (NMC) battery pack, manufactured in China by the CATL-Geely joint venture. 

The capacity is unknown but the SOA platform is compatible with batteries ranging between 73 and 120 kWh, which are good for a maximum range of 432 miles.

The L380 will be manufactured in Zhejiang in the LEVC New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. plant, where LEVC TX is assembled.

Rivals in the Chinese market include the Zeekr 009 and Volvo  (VLVOF) - Get Free Report EM90 twins, which are also owned by Geely, and other similarly-sized minivans like the Li  (LAAOF) - Get Free Report Mega, Denza D9, Xpeng  (XPEV) - Get Free Report X9, and Maxus Mifa 9. 

MPVs are said to be quite popular in China, as Motor1.com noted in October, with many new luxury MPVs debuting in China.

Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, told China Daily last year that the MPV trend is fueled by the fact that Chinese families now have more children, and they are spending more time traveling.

The major selling points of MPVs are space and comfort, so buyers would like to trade up for premium ones.

"There is greater potential considering the fact that we are having bigger families in China," he said.

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